


I'm Only Living for You

by Dizzy_Star_77



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Minor Character(s), Romance, THIS IS NOT FRERARD SORRY
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-18 17:42:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19339417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dizzy_Star_77/pseuds/Dizzy_Star_77
Summary: Ray and reader meet in a weird weird situation. They fall in love blah blah blah, you know the drill.





	1. A Ride Home

Y/n stood in the cleaning aisle of the local supermarket, desperately trying to locate the brand of laundry detergent that her roommate had asked her to get.

God, why does CeCe have to have such sensitive skin? Whatever y/n, you have sensitive skin too, don't act like you're perfect. But why can't she just order it on Amazon or something, instead of making me spend hours in one aisle just trying to find a bottle? Because you're a good roommate and a good friend. Right, right, blah blah, conscious blah blah.

Y/n gasped in delight when she had finally located the bottle of detergent that CeCe needed. She then groaned in disdain when she realized that it was sitting on the top shelf. Her short stature was not doing her any favors today.

"Dammit." She whispered, looking around to see if there was an employee nearby. Much to her chagrin, there was only her.

Ugh, guess I'm really going to do this.

Checking her surroundings once more to make sure nobody was watching,  
y/n walked up to the shelf where the bottle was and tried to jump up to reach it. After a few failed attempts, y/n resolved to simply stare at the bottle, hoping that it would, by some miracle, fall off of the shelf and into her arms. Y/n's desperate stare was similar to that of a puppy when they try to manipulate their owner into giving them food. In this case, y/n's owner was not going to budge.

"Hey, do you need help or something?" A voice inquired from the end of the aisle.

"Hmmm?" Y/n turned to see a tall man  standing about ten feet away from her.

The man smiled gently at her and took a few steps forward.

"I said did you need help?"

"Oh! Yes! Yes please!" Y/n snapped out of her angry trance and pointed to the bottle, smiling back.

"Ok." The man chuckled at her aloofness and stepped up to grab the bottle.

Y/n examined the man. He was tall, at least 6 feet, and had a large mane of long, curly hair. He was quite handsome, and the fact that he was helping her made y/n a little flustered.

The man turned around and handed her the bottle with a small smile.

"Anything else I can get for you?"

"Oh no, thank you so much though!"

"Hey, it's no problem to help out a fellow human being." Y/n screamed on the inside. He was cute AND he had morals! What more could she ask for?

"Haha, ye-" Suddenly the lights in the store completely shut off, leaving all customers and employees in total darkness.

"What the heck?" Y/n asked nobody. "That's wierd."

"Yeah, no joke." The man replied, laughing slightly, pulling out his cellphone to turn on the flashlight.

Once the pair could see better, the man raised an eyebrow at y/n. 

"This might sound super horrible to you, and you're free to refuse, but do you want to go try and scare people?" Alright, he had questionable morals, but at least they were morals.

"Umm..." y/n thought about the repercussions for about 2 seconds before completely running out of cares. "YES!"

"Alright!" The man held up his hand for a high five, which y/n gladly reciprocated. "We should probably introduce ourselves then, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm y/n."

"Cool. I'm Ray."


	2. Scaring Grown People Cuz Why Not?

"Follow me." Ray started walking out of the aisle, beckoning y/n along with him. 

"Where are we going?" Y/n asked.

"We're gonna go to the toy section and find the loudest toys they have." 

Just then an announcement came over the store intercom.

"Dear shoppers, please do not be alarmed by the loss of light. Our light circuit has gone out by accident and we are working hard to fix it. Until then, employees will be bringing out lights to place throughout the store. You will all be given a thirty percent discount for your troubles. Thank you." 

Ray ignored this, so y/n did too. She kept bumping into things, causing them to slow down. After all, it wasnt y/n who was holding the light source, and her phone was at 30%. 

"Y/n, are you ok?" Ray turned around after a particularly bad fall.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just hard to see." Y/n was sitting on the floor after having walked into a Cheez-it display.

"Here, then." Ray held out his hand to help her up, but then didn't let go. "Oh, and grab a box of Cheez-its."

"O-okay." Y/n complied, little shocked. She was glad Ray couldn't see that her face was heating up hotter than a stove.

The pair made it quickly to the toy aisles after that. Y/n grabbed a Dora the Explorer flashlight so she could finally see without help and the pair split up to find their prizes. 

Ray's POV

Ray scanned the aisles trying to find the most obnoxious toy in existence. He noticed that his hand was cold. He looked down at it for a second before resuming his task.

Y/n is so pretty... and it felt nice to hold her hand. Her skin was soft. God Ray,  snap out of it! You've got a task at hand! Heh, at hand.

Ray found a gun where if you held the trigger down, it made gunshot noises. He also found a nerf gun out of its package and some spilled darts. He scooped the darts into his pockets and searched for another opened gun for y/n. Ray finally found one at the back of a shelf and went off to find y/n. 

"Ray!" Y/n called him over to a giant basket filled with light-up bouncy balls. "We need ALL of them."

Y/n had a wide smile on her face. Ray laughed a little at this. 

"Okay, then." 

"Here." Y/n opened her bag and pushed it into Ray's chest. "Help me fill it up."

Y/n started filling the bag with as many of the objects that she could. Ray was a little shocked by her adventurous spirit, but started helping her anyway. After about 30 seconds, they had filled it to the top. 

"Oh!" Ray remembered the nerf arsenal he had acquired. "I have stuff too."

Ray handed her a gun and a bunch of bullets. 

"Nice!" Y/n looked up a with the most adorable smile. "Let's go then!"

"Alright." 

Ray followed y/n all the way to the other side of the store where they located their first victim. A middle aged woman looking at dish towels. Y/n looked at Ray and whispered.

"You stay here. I'm going to the other side." She gestured wantonly as if they were on some sort if secret mission. "On three ok?"

"Ok."  

Y/n ran quietly to her post and motioned a countdown with her fingers.

1....2....3

The pair pelted the floor around the woman with the light up toys. She jumped and yelled, trying to avoid being hit. Y/n ran away, with Ray following closely behind. They caught their breath behind a nearby shelf, struggling to breathe through their laughter.

Ray and y/n continued this process for the next fifteen minutes until the lights got turned back on and there was nothing to do. 

"Well," Ray said.

"Well?" 

"That was fun." 

"Haha, yeah." Ray looked at his hands, a little disappointed that their adventure had to end.

"What do we d-" 

"OH I STILL NEED TO BUY THE DETERGENT!" Y/n cut Ray off and jumped up. 

"Oh, well let's ditch this stuff before the employees figured out what we've been doing." Ray stood up and placed their guns on a random shelf. 

"Oh yeah, that's a good idea." Y/n gained her composure again and emptied her bag onto the shelf, letting the balls roll around. "I'm not sure where I left the bottle, so I need your help again." She looked up and smiled.

Ray felt like he was melting inside whenever she smiled. He felt like he would do anything he asked her to do. 

"Sure thing. Lead the way." Ray gestured outwards and followed her.

After paying for everything, Ray and y/n walked out of the store. 

"Hey, do you need a ride?" Ray asked hopefully.

"Um, actually yes. I took a taxi here so I will always take a free ride." Y/n laughed a little.

"Cool. My car is this way."

Y/N's POV

Y/n watched as Ray's hair bounced up and down with every step. She'd always liked guys with curly hair, and he was no exception. 

Where is this going to go? Are we going to be friends now?

Y/n snapped out of her thoughts when they reached Ray's car. 

"Here, I'll get that for you." Ray opened the passenger door for her. 

"Thank you sir." Y/n smiled and stepped into the vehicle.

Ray gently closed the door and got in on the driver side.


	3. A Ride Home

I fastened the seat belt in Ray's car and placed my purse gingerly in my lap.

"My address is 2567 Birch street. You might need that information."

"Haha, yeah, I might." Ray replied. 

"Oh and hey, you better not be a serial killer." I warn Ray. "Cause if I get murdered, I'm going to get rather peeved with you."

Ray smiles as he pulls the car out of the parking lot. 

"Trust me, I'm safe." He's scanning traffic, waiting for the right time to turn onto the main road.

"That's good." I say sternly. "Because I have absolutely no issue with haunting you for the rest of your life."

"Alright I'll keep that in mind then." Ray pulls onto the road quickly.

RAY'S POV

Y/n seemed very engrossed with something outside of the car, because she had her forehead pressed against the window and was staring intensely at something. It was hard for me to figure out what, because I had to be paying attention to the road. However, every few seconds, I would sneak a glance and see her intense concentration.

"Y/n?" I ask softly.

"Hmmm?" Her answer is drawn out, like she's only half paying attention to my words.

"You seem rather enthralled with something. May I ask what?" 

"I'm counting road signs." She states, her focus was still on the outside world.

"Why are you counting road signs?" I inquired.

"I dunno." She shrugged, "It's just something I've always done, counting things. To keep myself entertained I guess."

"Interesting." I nod my head.

"I guess so." Y/n chuffed. "To me it just seems like the habit of a neurotic mess. But 'interesting' is fine."

We sat in silence for a minute more.

"What do you do for a living?" Y/n turned to me with a curious expression.

"Um, not a lot right now." I was embarrassed to tell y/n the rest. "I work part time as a phone salesman, but m other job is playing in a band with my friends." A smile quickly broke out on her face.

"A band? Really? What do you do?"

"Oh..uh, I play electric guitar." I smiled at her interest.

"That's cool. I've always wanted to learn guitar. I play the flute, and I can pick out a few notes on piano, but that's as far as my instrumental skillset reaches." 

"Oh, that's cool. So what do you do for a living?" I really wanted to know more about her.

"Oh!" Her face lit up. "I'm a part time childcare attendant. So, basically a nanny. I absolutely adore children, so it's a great job for when I'm not going to classes."

"Classes? What are you studying?"

"Child psychology. I want to be a therapist one day. It's a big dream of mine to be able to help kids." 

"That's.... really awesome y/n." She seemed like such a genuinely nice person. She had dreams and passion, plus a plucky attitude that was irresistible to me. Not to mention she was also really cute. I had only just met her, but I already wanted to be her friend. "What's the craziest story you have from your job?"

Y/n had many, many stories from work. There was when she had to convince a crying child that she couldn't bring the cat into the bathtub to play, or when a kid drew all over his sheets in marker when he was supposed to be taking a nap. Every story was told with such vigor and enthusiasm that I couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't going into writing instead of psychology. Before we knew it, we had arrived at her house.

"Do you want to come inside?" She asked me, "I don't have anything planned today, and you've already proven yourself not to be a serial killer, so I'm willing to let you inside." She flashed a sweet smile that nearly made me melt. 

"Oh, um yeah. Sure, that'd be great." I mentally facepalmed myself for acting so awkward.

"Rad! Let's go then." She hopped out of the car rather quickly, then waited impatiently for me to exit as well. When I finally had, she pranced up to the door and unlocked it, but not before fumbling with her keys for a solid 15 seconds. She smiled sheepishly and opened the door. Her house was small, but very nice. A small TV was mounted to the wall in her living room right above a shelf that housed exactly 7 movies, a DVD/VHS player, a stereo, 6 CD cases, and 3 books. The rest of the shelf was bare. 

There were two small sofas and one large armchair, gathered around the TV with a coffee table in the center. 

"I'm gonna put this away," Y/n said, gesturing to the bottle of detergent in her hand, "and you can just do what you want until I get back I guess." With that Y/n scampered off down a hallway with the bottle. 

I didn't want to look like I was snooping, so I resolved to stay in the living room. There were photos all over one wall. They were of many people. There were a few of Y/n. She looked very happy in the photos; there was one of her holding a small dog that was licking her face, and one of her in a cap and gown, holding her highschool diploma. She was grinning wildly and her fingers were I a peace sign. One particular photo caught my attention. 

Y/n was standing with an older woman who looked very similar to her. Her mother maybe? They were hugging and looked like they were laughing at something. They looked so happy in that photo, but there were no more photos of the older woman anywhere on the wall. Why was that?

"You like my pictures?" Y/n's soft voice  broke my concentration. She was leaning against the wall, watching me.

"Yeah. They're nice." I pointd to the photo I was looking at. "Is this your mom?" 

She walked over and took a look. 

"Yep, sure is. Do you want something to drink?" Well she changed the subject quickly.

"Um yeah. Do you have water?" 

"Yeah, I got water."

I followed her into the kitchen where she was searching for a cup. She was standing on tiptoes trying to reach one. It was honestly so adorable.

"Here let me get that for you." I took a few steps over and reached the cup easily. 

"Thanks. Gosh what I do without you?" She looked into my eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing. You're completely helpless." I ruffled her hair and handed her the cup. 

"Pfft. Okay." She blew a piece of hair.out of her face and turned to fill it with water.

We sat down at her table and talked for a few minutes. She told me about her roommate CeCe, and I told her about my friends from my band. She always seemed interested in what I had to say, and listened intensely.

I was cut off by my phone ringing. I looked at it. Frank. Leave it to him to cut off my quality bonding time.

"Hello?"

"Ray! You wanna hang out with us later at Gerard and Mikey's? We're gonna order a shit ton of pizza." 

"Yeah, sure." I said, rolling my eyes. 

"Sick! Alright see ya later man." Frank hung up the phone.

I set the phone down and sighed. 

"Everything ok?" Y/n took a sip of water.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. But my friends want to hang out so I have to go soon." 

"Oh. Well in that case, can I get your phone number? Then we can still talk and stuff." Y/n looked at her.hands nervously. How cute.

"Of course!" I picked up my phone again. "That would be amazing!"

"Awesome!" She smiled widely. "Here, you can put it in my phone." Y/n handed me her phone, open to the contacts section.I entered in my number and gave it back to her. 

A few minutes later, and Y/n was walking with me out to my car. 

"Alright, drive safe." She laughed, imitating the voice of a concerned parent.  "Have fun at your friend's house sweetie."

"Okay, mom." I said, opening the driver door. "This was fun, Y/n. I hope I see you again."

"Me too. You have my phone number, so don't hesitate to text."

"I won't." I definitely will.

"Alright, bye then." She rocked back and forth on her heels, waiting as I got in the car and started it.

"Bye." I smiled and pulled the car out of her driveway. As I drove away, I watched her walk up the driveway and into her house, stealing one final glance at my car before shutting the door behind her.


	4. Sweet Dreams

I walked back inside my house and shut the door gently. My roommate would be back soon, so I decided to clean up the kitchen before she returned. 

As I washed the used water glasses, I found my mind wandering back to Ray. I loved his calm, thoughtful demeanor. His whole personality was gentle, and it made me feel comfortable to be around. I hoped that he would call me soon, because I was already missing him. 

Well, I wasn't sure if I missed him or if I just missed anybody. I didn't have many friends at the time, so I was pretty starved for human interaction.

A few hours later, evning had fallen, I had finished cleaning, and was relaxing in my room, sewing a hole in a pair of pants. CeCe had long since returned from work and was watching TV in the living room. My cellphone started to vibrate next to me, so I set down my sewing for a moment to see who was calling. My world lit up with joy when I saw the name. Ray is calling...

I hurriedly accepted and put the phone up to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked, though I knew perfectly well who it was.

"Hey Y/n? It's me, Ray." I heard Ray's gentle voice and I smiled. "How are you?"

"I'm very well!" I tried to keep from sounding too excited, and I'm not sure exactly how well that was working out for me. "How are you? Doing well, I'd hope."

"Pretty well, pretty well." He said slowly. I hung onto every word he said like my life depended on it. "I was wondering if you wanted to come hang out tomorrow? Like, maybe get coffee or something?"

I definitely could not pass up this opportunity. "Yes! That would be wonderful." I replied. "How about noon?"

There was a multi-second pause before I heard Ray's answer. "Um... yeah, noon works. Do you need me to pick you up?"

"Yes, that would be lovely." We talked for the next hour, until I was yawning too much to even form coherent sentences.

"Sounds like it's time for you to go to sleep, huh Y/n?" Ray chuckled.

"Yeah, you're right" I yawned again, giggling a little bit. "Goodnight Ray."

"Night, Y/n. Sweet dreams." Ray bade me farewell and I hung up the phone, leaning back on my pillow. I fell asleep shortly after, excited for the next day.


	5. Meeting the ¤Boyz¤

I woke up the next morning at around 10:00. I stumbled up and wandered into the bathroom to wash my face and fix my hair. My phone went off rather loudly, causing me to clutch my head in agony. Sleep still held me in its claws, making every loud noise send pain hurtling toward my ears.

I hit the accept button on my phone and placed it to my ear. "Hello?" I asked desperately, still reeling from my auditory assault. 

"Hey Y/n. Its Ray again. Are we still on for today?" I was relieved to hear Ray's gentle voice replace the violent ringing of my cellphone. 

"Ray!" I softly exclaimed. "Yes, we are still on. Can you pick me up? If it's not too much of a bother, that is."

"Oh that's no bother at all!" He assured me. "I'll be there at like 11:30 okay?" 

"Okay!"

"Alright, bye Y/n."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone and continued to get ready for the day. An hour later, and my hair was brushed, my makeup done, and my clothes picked out and put on. There wasn't much to do now but wait for Ray. I walked into my kitchen and was startled to see CeCe sitting at the table, a cup of tea in her hands, and a wide smirk on her face. She was still in her pyjamas, and her hair was mussed up from sleep.

"Well, aren't you stunning this morning." She looked up at me, the smirk still present on her face. "Going on a date?"

"No." I walked past her and opened the fridge, pretending to be disinterested in her comment. "I'm just going to meet a friend for coffee." 

"Oh." CeCe raised an eyebrow. "Is this the same 'friend' you were on the phone with for over an hour last night?" 

I froze and slowly shut the refrigerator door. 

CeCe mocked my voice. " 'Oh Ray, you're so funny. Stop it, you're making me blush!' " 

I gasped defensively. "I did not say that!" I turned around, hands on my hips.

"Close enough, loser." CeCe took a sip from her tea and laughed. "So who is this Ray anyway? Is he hot?"

My cheeks blushed and I started leaving the kitchen. "That's none of your business, CeCe."

CeCe watched as I walked out. "He is isn't he?" She called after me. 

I just kept walking down the hall to my room. I grabbed my purse and slid my phone inside, heading back out to the living room to wait. A few minutes later and the doorbell rang; I shot up and opened it, seeing Ray standing on the front steps, smiling. 

"Hi Y/n." He greeted me warmly, giving me a half hug.

"DAMN Y/N! GET SOME!" CeCe called, standing just in view of the doorway, tea still clutched.in her hands. 

"Shut up CeCe!" I yelled, quickly walking out and slamming the door behind us. "Sorry about her," I apologized as we walked down the steps. "She's usually pretty fun, but she's obnoxious when she wakes up."

Ray laughed and led me to his car. "I take it that's your roommate, then?" 

"Yeah." 

We had been at the coffee shop for about twenty minutes when Ray looked at his phone and sighed. "Is it ok if a couple of my friends join us? They're being especially annoying and won't leave me alone unless I invite them." 

I laughed and nodded my head. "Yeah, no problemo." 

"Okay, thanks. Also, sorry in advance, they're very brash. Well, Frank is, anyway." Ray set his phone down and ran a hand through his hair. 

"Oh, really?" I tilted my head and smiled softly.  "I look forward to meeting them. They sound interesting." 

Ray matched my movements, reciprocating my smile as well. Geez, I could melt right here and now, someone save me! He opened his mouth as if to say something, but was quickly cut off by a rowdy group of guys entering the cafe. Luckily, the storefront was already extremely noisy, so they didn't stand out too much. 

"Well, you wont have to wait too much longer," Ray sighed, half laughing. "Cause here they come now."

The guys came and crowded around the table. The one standing closest to me had very flat brown hair that seemed to be sticking to his face. He had sharp features and even sharper glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. He was lanky, and his awkwardness caused his knees to point inwards towards eachother. 

"Y/n, this is Mikey." Ray nodded to the boy next to me, who was currently looking at his feet, hands shoved in his coat pockets.

"Say hi, Mikey." The guy next to Mikey elbowed him in the side, startling him. Mikey turned to me with a half smile and a small wave.

"Hi."

I smiled back. The guy who elbowed Mikey looked a little like him. Brothers, maybe? He had shaggy black hair and a very baggy, oversized coat on. His pointed nose and sassy smirk gave him the appearance of a mischievous fairy. 

"I'm Gerard." He stuck out his hand and grinned, friendly and inviting. I gladly took it with both hands.

"Raaaaaaayyy," The last guy whined. He was throwing wadded up napkins at Ray to get his attention. "You didn't introduce me to your lady friend yet!" 

This one must be Frank.

He didn't seem like he was going to wait anymore, and turned to me with a wide smirk, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "I'm Frank." He looked me up and down. "Ray was understating when he said you were cute, cause I would absolutely- OW!" 

There was a loud slap, and Frank was now rubbing the back of his head, wincing in pain. "What the hell, man?"

"Shut up, Frank." Ray growled. I was a little startled; I hadn't yet seen an aggressive side to this man. "Sorry Y/n, sometimes Frank forgets his manners. But he'll try and remember them from now on, right Frank?" Ray was glaring at Frank, and Frank was rolling his eyes and grumbling quietly. 

"Yes." He mumbled. I looked over and saw Gerard and Mikey snickering. I laughed at Frank's childishness as well.

"Did you guys want to sit down?" I offered. "We can probably squeeze you all in, of you'd like." 

They agreed, so we all crowded into the booth. I ended up squished against the wall, next to Gerard, with Mikey on the other side of him. His long legs were sort of protruding out of the edge, because he didn't have much room for them under the table. Opposite to us, Ray and Frank were much more comfortable, having a reasonable amount of space. 

Despite our lack of room, we had fun, chatting and being rambunctious. Ray's odd friends were starting to grow on me. Eventually, they had invited me to watch their band practice. I enthusiastically accepted, curious about what kind of music this ragtag group of boys could create together.

So we temporarily parted ways, me going with Ray in his car, and the others piling into Gerard's.

"Well," I stated. "They were quite something." 

"Yeah." Ray chuckled lightly. "Something." After a moment of silence, he added, "Sorry about Frank. I guess I sort of warned you."

"Oh, he's fine. Any man who gushes over my beauty is fine by me." 

We finally stopped at a nice little house. Gerard, Mikey, and Frank had already arrived, and Gerard was unlocking the front door.

Oh, this must be his house.

Once inside, I was ushered down the stairs into a basement.

Ray's POV 

"Umm... you can just sit there and watch us if you want." I pointed at a small, beat-up sofa moved up against a wall. 

"Oh...okay then." Y/n set her bag down on the floor and settled calmly onto the cushions, looking around the room.

"Careful where you sit Y/n," Frank said, tuning his guitar. "We don't know where Gee likes to jerk off."

Y/n yelped and stood up quickly, looking shocked and horrified.

God dammit Frank, could you not control yourself for one day?

The guys were laughing at Y/n's reaction, and it kind of made me feel bad. She looked embarrassed, and her face was turning red. 

"It's okay, Y/n." I set down my guitar and walked over to her. "He was just kidding okay?" I offered an apologetic smile to her and she nervously met my gaze.

"Oh..yeah, okay." Slowly, she sat back down and looked ashamedly at her hands, folded neatly in her lap. 

I shot Frank a glare as I walked back to my guitar. 

All of Y/n's discomfort seemed to disappear when we started playing. She looked enamored with the music. Wide-eyed and smiling, she listened attentively to every note and lyric, hanging on to every rhythm.

After we finished the first song, Y/n clapped happily and grinned, praising us. 

We continued with our complete set, each song made Y/n more involved. She was so adorable with how enthusiastic she would get.

By the end, we were all sweaty and tired, but Y/n didn't seem to mind when she ran up to throw her arms around me in a tight hug. I smiled wildly and hugged back. All the guys were staring at us, but I don't think Y/n noticed. If she had, she was so happy I doubt she would have cared much. Seeing her so joyful made me light up inside. After she finally pulled away, she gave me one last smile before prancing over to the other boys to compliment them on their playing.

I smiled to myself while cleaning up, still cheerful from the hug. What is this feeling? Oh no. Ray, this better not be a crush. 

I glanced over to see Y/n laugh at something Frank said. She looked so pretty when the corners of her eyes crinkled up from smiling. 

Yep. It's a crush.


	6. Make Believe

Ray's POV 

We all ended up hanging out at Gerard's house until pretty late in the night. At first we were just talking and playing random old board games that were on Gee's shelves, but eventually we got bored of that and just played video games. I felt bad because Y/n told me that she didn't like video games much, but preferred to just watch. It turned out to be a lot of fun, her just sitting with us and making jokes, occasionally throwing food or a pillow at one of us to make us screw up and lose.

At around midnight I decided that I should really go home. I had work the next day, and needed to be alert for that. 

I was watching Mikey kick Franks ass at street fighter. "Hey Y/n, you need a ride home?" 

No response.

I turned and saw Y/n sleeping on the carpet next to me, her face resting gently on her arms, and jacket laid over her torso like a blanket. She looked so peaceful I didn't want to wake her, but I knew she needed to go home. 

"Y/n..." I said softly, rubbing her back slightly. 

She stirred, shifting slightly and rubbing her eyes. "Oh...was I asleep?" Her face scrunched in confusion, and she looked up at me.

"Yep." Y/n rolled onto her back and stretched her arms above her, yawning. "Anyway, do you need me to give you a ride home?" 

"Yes please..." She yawned again and sat up, then pulled her jacket back over her arms. "That would be wonderful."

"Okay then." I stood up, then offered my hand to help Y/n up too. She latched on and shakily pulled herself up. I led her sleepy self to the couch so she could get her bag. "Alright guys, we're gonna go now, see ya later."

"Bye man, see ya later." Frank turned to us, not caring about losing anymore. "See you later Y/n, it was cool meeting you."

This made Y/n smile, and she gave Frank a little fist bump. "It was cool meeting you too, Frankie." Her voice was quiet and slow, and she was wavering back and forth on her feet with half lidded eyes. She's so tired, I better get her home. 

"Alright Y/n, I think we'd better go." She held onto my hand the whole time, using me as a guide. I led her up the stairs, and she sleepily waved goodbye to the boys before we disappeared from their view and quietly exited the house. 

I helped her into my car and drove her home, every so often looking over to see Y/n nodding off. When I pulled into her driveway, she slowly opened her eyes and unbuckled herself, then turned to me. "Thank you." She murmured, a small smile resting on her face. 

"Don't thank me yet, I'm still taking you to your door." I walked Y/n all the way to her front door, where she fumbled with her keys for a moment and unlocked it. However, she didn't open the door, instead she turned to me and wrapped her arms slowly around my torso, pressing her head into my chest. I held her tightly, not wanting to let go. 

I could tell something was wrong with her, normal people didn't hug someone they met days ago like that. She needed protection it seemed like, but was I the right person to give her that? 

After a solid two minutes of hugging, Y/n finally broke away and opened her door. She turned to me one last time and smiled. "Thank you Ray. I'll see you around."

"Yep. See you." 

Y/N's POV 

I woke up in my bed to the jarring sounds of my alarm. Only vague memories of how I ended up back home were swirling around in my mind. 

I fell asleep at Gerard's house.

I woke up.

I was in Ray's car.

We were on my doorstep.

I woke up at home.

I couldn't remember anything other than that. I must have been really tired.

Beside that, I had school and work today, so it was time for me to get up and moving.

Slowly, I rolled out of bed and yanked on a fresh set of clothes. Just a sweatshirt and skirt will be fine today, there's nobody to impress. Barely any effort went into my appearance that day. I hastily brushed my hair, and didn't even bother with fresh makeup.

I was so apathetic to me and my surroundings that morning I didn't even notice anyone else in the house with me until I had sat down at the kitchen table with a bowl of oatmeal and a teasing voice interrupted me.

"Y/n...you naughty girl." I was jolted out of my haze by none other than CeCe. She was sitting in her usual chair, with her usual cup of morning tea, and of course, her usual smirk. "Sneaking in past midnight after being out with a boy." She clicked her tongue in feigned disapproval.

"Oh shut up." I groaned loudly, not in the mood for her annoying teasing. "We didn't do anything like that okay?"

"No?" She raised her eyebrows. "What did you do then?" 

"We got coffee, then I went and watched his band practice, then we all hung out and I fell asleep, so he drove me home." I took a deep breath. "That's all."

"That's all?" CeCe looked shocked.

"That's all." I nodded.

"Boring." 

I rolled my eyes at her comment and put my now empty bowl in the sink. The clock read 8:15, so if I hurried, I could get to class with an extra fifteen minutes. I stepped into some comfy shoes and grabbed my backpack, then walked out of the house.

My arrival at school was right on schedule. With exactly fifteen minutes to spare, I took a leisurely stroll to my first class of the day. I walked into the lecture hall and set my bag at a seat that was decently spaced from anyone else's and sat down to review my notes from the day before. Today was going to be easy.

After class, I stopped by the house for a few minutes to change my clothes so I could head to work. 

I arrived to my nannying position on time, and was greeted happily by the two little girls who had absolutely stolen my heart, Maia and Julie. They were twins; they each had little blonde pigtails and wore cute little princess costumes at all times, always to mimic whoever their favorite Disney princess was at the time.

Lately, Maia loved Belle, and Julie loved Aurora, so they wore little yellow and pink gowns to portray their regal personas.

The girls gave me enthusiastic hugs and followed me all around the house while I notified their parents of my arrival. Then, they dragged me off to their playroom to help them play pretend. 

Maia and Julie were surprisingly easy to handle that day. Hardly any fighting, only a few tears, and they both went down for naps with no arguing. I was now making them dinner, and the twin girls sat at the table, patiently coloring pictures of princesses. They sure do love princesses. I wish I was a Princess. Then I could- My thoughts were cut short by Julie's small voice.

"Y/n?" She looked innocently up at me, a pink crayon clutched in her fist.

"Yeah sweetiepie?" I plated up the chicken I prepared them and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

"Do you have a prince?"


	7. (Working on a title)

t was a whole two weeks before I saw Y/n again. I would have thought it was longer though, because every damn second I was thinking of her. Waking up? Y/n. Getting dressed? Y/n. Driving? Y/n. At work? Y/n. Practicing music? Y/n. Every thing was Y/n. Somehow, it took me that first week to admit that I really had it bad for that girl. 

I had called her a few times since the day at Gerard's house, but we hadn't planned anything more yet. We were both busy all the time. But Y/n kept us both entertained with stories about the little girls that she nannied for. 

Even when we were talking late at night, she always kept her tales lively. However, I could hear the tiredness slip through her voice every so often, and I would have to let her go so she could sleep. Often I wondered if she would go to sleep by herself if I never told her to, or if she would just keep going.

I figured it was time for us to meet again, so I called her up one morning and invited her over to hangout with me at my apartment in the evening. She agreed and now I had a more important task: cleaning.

Being your typical single twentysomething man, I had a bad habit of letting my personal space go into disarray until I absolutely had to clean it up. So I spent the next few hours doing miscellaneous chores. Washing dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, etcetera. 

I thought I was done, but soon realized that I had a large pile of clothes that needed to be washed, so I made the trip to the laundromat down the street to clean them.

I was finally done cleaning (to the best of my ability, that is) my apartment at about 4:30, which was thirty minutes before Y/n was supposed to arrive. 

Those last thirty minutes went by agonizingly slow, with me trying to pass the time anyway I could figure out. Eventually, I decided on practicing a few guitar riffs. There were a few I had a tough time with, so a little extra time would do me good. 

Practice proved to be a good decision, and time flew by quickly after that. There was a knock on my door at exactly 5 o'clock, signaling me to retire my guitar for the time being and answer it.

I opened the door and saw Y/n, grinning excitedly. She looked so perfect. Her hair was styled beautifully, and she was wearing a cute yellow dress and a denim jacket. Her little purse was slung over her shoulder, and she had pushed her hair back on one side to reveal a small pair of earrings. She looked straight out of a dream. In fact, she looked so good I felt embarrassed about my own appearance. My own unruly hair was always sticking out. 

Nevertheless, I let Y/n in. "Sorry if my place is messy," I apologized. "I cleaned a bunch before you got here, but there's probably some places I missed."

"No no, its fine!" Y/n turned around and gave a reassuring smile. "So...what do you want to do?"

Damn. I hadn't thought of that. 

"Well, I kinda didn't think of that." Chuckling nervously, I scratched the back of my neck. "Do you want to watch a movie or something?"

"Okay!" Y/n replied, but didn't seem too invested in my words. She was busy observing my living room with wide, curious eyes. She turned back to me with an innocent expression. "What do you have?" 

"Oh, they're all over on that shelf." I gestured to a mounted shelf on the opposite wall. "You can look through them if you want. Do you want popcorn or something?" 

She nodded enthusiastically. "Cool! And yes, I would like popcorn."

"Alright, cool." I smiled and walked into the kitchen.

Y/N'S POV 

Here I am, standing in Ray's living room, trying to pick out a movie. He has a wide assortment of VHS tapes with everything from gritty action flicks to Disney animations. Nothing seemed to appeal to me until one specific movie caught my attention. Romeo+Juliet. I'd always loved Shakespeare, and more specifically this movie. It wasn't even Leonardo DiCaprio, it was the editing and humor of it all. 

RAY'S POV

When I returned to the living room with popcorn, I found Y/n clutching the one movie I was embarrassed to own: Romeo+Juliet. Giving me a pleading pout, she looked up at me. "Can we watch this one please? It's one of my favorite movies, and I just love it so much." 

I sighed deeply and stared, alternating my eyes back and forth from Y/n to the movie in her hands. Slowly, Y/n morphed her pout into a sugary-sweet smile and widened her eyes delicately. It was difficult to deny my guest the thing she wanted. "Ugh, fine."

Y/n squealed happily and flounced around me while I put the movie in the VHS player. "Wait, do you have blankets?" She asked, still wobbling around.

"Yeah, they're in my room. I'll show you." I got up before hitting play on the film so I could take Y/n to my bedroom. She followed eagerly, and when I pointed to the shelf that held my blankets, she tried to take one from the top, but her short stature caused the rest to fall on top of her. 

I almost doubled over laughing, but Y/n stood horrified at the mess she'd created. Her face was turning red and she scrambled to fold the blankets up again. "I-I'm sorry, Ray. I didn't mean to." 

I calmed down from laughter and knelt down to help Y/n. "Its okay. Don't  worry 'bout it. In fact, let's just take all of these out to the living room." I pulled her up and we went to the living room  and spread the blankets all over the floor.

We watched the movie in darkness, laying on and under covers upon covers, the bowl of popcorn between us. She had a smile on most of the movie, just having it exist seemed to bring her joy. She did keep shushing me though, especially if she thought I was chewing too loud. She would wave her hand in front of my face while her eyes were still glued to the screen.

"Stop!" Laughing, I grabbed her hand and moved it away. Part of me was annoyed, but the other part was amused at Y/n's habit.

"Stop being so loud then!" She retorted. We smiled silently at eachother for a moment before turning our attentions back to the film. 

We were silent for the next few minutes, and I wanted her attention back. So when Romeo and Juliet had their makeout scene in the pool, I clamped my hand over Y/n's eyes. 

"Hey!" She shouted, trying to move my hand. "What the hell?"

"Sorry sweetie," I taunted, not letting my hand waver. "This scene is inappropriate for you. I can't let myself sleep knowing you've seen such debauchery." 

Y/n tried to move her head, but wherever she moved, I moved my arms to follow. "Whatever!" She groaned. "I've seen this movie like a thousand times!" 

"Then you're not missing anything." I reasoned, trying to get her more annoyed. 

"Oh shut up!" Y/n eventually swatted my hands away, then pushed my shoulders a little bit.

"Oh you wanna play that way?" I asked in a low voice.

Her next sentence was sharp, and a mischievous smile creeped onto her face. "Bite me."


	8. My Prince

Y/N'S POV 

"Bite me." I snapped, smirking.

Ray's eyes flickered and he lunged at me, tackling me to the ground. He tickled me with such ferocity that soon I was gasping and screaming for air. 

"Ray.... please...stop..." I squirmed on the ground. We were both laughing, but I was also flailing around, trying to get rid of my intruder. Eventually I landed a harsh kick right to his crotch, causing Ray to fall over and onto his back, yelling in agony.

I felt horribly watching him in pain, and rushed to his side. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Please be okay! I don't want you to die, please, oh my God, please don't die!"

At this point, Ray was curled up, making high-pitched whimpering noises and clawing at the carpet. "No... I'm fine." He choked out. "My dick might fall off but I'm fine, don't worry." 

"Okay, I won't." I just laid his head in my lap gently and stroked his hair until he calmed down, then petted the side of his face for a little bit. "Are you okay now?" I asked softly.

"Yeah I'm fine." He tried to get up, but ended up just falling farther onto me. "Oh God, I'm so sorry Y/n." Ray just stared at the ceiling, looking hopeless.

"Its okay," I giggled, playing with curls of his hair. "I don't mind. Now I can mess with your beautiful tresses."

"Alright, just don't mess them up too badly." Ray shifted and laid his hands over his stomach.

"Okay," I murmured, wrapping a strand around my finger. Neither of us were paying attention to the movie that was still playing, just enveloped in each other's attention. 

It was sitting there that I realized how much I liked Ray. Like you know, like-liked him. It dawned on me that I had been letting my whole world operate around Ray. I was always thinking of him, wondering when he'd call again. I had been telling Maia and Julie bedtime stories of a handsome curly-haired prince who saved damsels and slayed vicious beasts. 

RAY'S  POV 

I now was laying in Y/n's lap, and she was messing with my curls. Her hands were soft, much softer than my own. Her fingers didn't have callouses from playing a guitar for hours on end. No, her hands were smooth, the type of hands used to comfort others. The type of hands that would rock children to sleep. The type of hands that could patch any scrape or cut. The type of hands that with one touch, you could feel your worries melt away.

I noticed that Y/n wasn't too invested in the movie anymore. Her face read as though she was deep in thought, and the thumb of her free hand was brushing slowly against her bottom lip. That was my favorite habit of hers. It always meant she was thinking hard. What could she be thinking about? Maybe she's thinking about me, just like I think about her.

Y/N'S POV 

Now, looking down, I saw my prince looking right back up at me. He smiled a small, loving smile, and grabbed my hand that was up by my lips. He squeezed it gently and watched as I let my fingers intertwine with his. We brought our joined hands down to rest with Ray's other hand.

The two of us enjoyed our intimate moment in silence. The lights from the television were reflecting onto Ray's face, making his skin glow a blend of blue and red. 

Slowly, so as not to startle us out of our connection, Ray sat up and moved his legs so they were next to me. He placed his free hand on my arm and slowly slid it up and up, over my shoulder and neck to cup my cheek, which were now flushed a deep pink shade. 

He hesitantly leaned forward, and my body copied naturally. It wouldn't have let me resist even if I tried. 

When Ray's soft lips met mine, I felt my entire body shiver from sheer emotional power. I wrapped my arm around his back and pulled him closer, not wanting to break the most wonderful moment I had ever experienced.

Ray broke the kiss and we both looked at each other wide-eyed. "I-I...that was...that was wonderful." I placed my hand on Ray's chest and felt his heart beating wildly. "I hope you liked it too."

"I-I did." He gasped, exasperated. "I liked it a lot."


	9. Swingset Woes

RAY'S POV

Holy shit holy shit holy shit. I just kissed Y/n. And she liked it. Holy shit she liked kissing me!

She had her hand on my chest. She could feel my heart beating wildly because of her. 

"Y/n?" I whispered, trying not to startle her.

"Yes?" She was smiling a little, messing with my fingers.

"Do you...want to go on a date?" 

"Yeah. When?" She looked up, tilting her head a little.

"Right now?" I asked. "There's still a little bit of light left, so why not?" 

"Okay!" Y/n resumed her excited demeanor. "Let's go then!" 

Y/n jumped up and pulled on her jacket, then reached for her shoes. I did the same, checking to make sure my wallet was in the pocket of my jacket. When we were both ready to go, I took Y/n's hand and walked us both out of the apartment complex. 

It was already dusk when we left, so I had to think of something fast.

Y/N'S POV 

We walked down the street, me cuddling into his side as we went. We kept each other warm against the chilly autumn air; our hair whipping around as the evening wind blew at us. My hand was protected in his, being gently squeezed every time a car sped by a little too quickly. Oh, how I wanted this moment to last. I felt light, not weighed down by my many responsibilities. 

At no point did I ask where we were going. I thought about it, sure, but I never really had the desire to ask. I would follow Ray anywhere he went, like a puppy follows its favorite human.

Eventually, we stopped at a small park. There wasn't much light left at this point, but that was alright with us; it meant we had the whole place just to ourselves. I let go of his hand and tagged him roughly. "YOU'RE IT!" I shouted, running away.

"Oh no you don't!" Ray called after me. I heard the tossing of pebbles as Ray ran after me, prompting my legs to move faster. My own laughter took my breath away, slowing me down. I had to stop before I suffocated, allowing Ray to knock into me, loudly announcing that I was now 'It' in the process.

I grumbled to myself and walked quietly after him. Eventually, he stopped to tie his shoe, thinking I was far behind. This was my opportunity. 

I made my steps barely audible, making sure to move as little gravel as I could with each stride. I internally cringed at every scrape of rock, cursing them for trying to give me away. I took my final step to being standing directly behind Ray. My fingers clamped firmly over his shoulders and I leaned down so I was next to his ear. "You're it." I whispered.

I made a break for the jungle gym, but I could hear Ray scrambling to get up. Once I had safely gotten to the top, I yelled down at him. "I'm on base! You can't get me!"

Yeah, I was gonna be that bitch today.

"You gotta come down sometime!" Ray laughed and stalked around my safe haven. 

I remained for a minute or two, getting some air and thinking of a plan. When I thought he wasn't looking, I lowered myself into one of the tube slides and slowly slid down. Unfortunately for me, he apparently was paying attention, and was waiting for me at the bottom. "Fuck." I whispered.

Grasping at nothing, I tried to move back up the slide and away from Ray, but he just laughed and pulled my legs down to meet him. "I think you're it now."

I stuck out my bottom lip in a faux pout. "I don't wanna play anymore." I whined.

"No?" He smirked and leaned over me. "What do you want to do then?"

"Give you a kiss." I took his face in my hands and slowly brought my face up to connect our lips. 

"I think I want to kiss you too." Ray said against my lips. He pushed back and slid one hand to my hip. The other worked it's way behind my back, pulling me to him. 

When the kiss ended, Ray pressed his forehead to mine. The warmth of his body was comforting; I felt sheltered and secured. Ray steadily pulled me up and walked me to the swing set. I sat down and he started to gently push me. 

"Y/n?" He asked.

"Yes?" I leaned back to see him. His thoughtful countenance was upside down, and so was his smile when he noticed me and my wild swinging hair.

"Do you remember the time I was at your house, and I was looking at your pictures? The ones on the wall?"

"Yeah."

"When I asked about the picture of your mother, you changed the subject pretty quickly."

"Oh....yeah..." Damnit, why'd he have to remember that?

"Why'd you do that?" He was concerned. It was hard to be upset, I would be worried too. I knew he wanted to help me, and I knew I needed to let him. I had spent too much time, too much of my life, pretending I didn't need help. Any trauma I had gathered was minimized and set on a shelf, to be dealt with when I 'had the time.' I really wanted to be with Ray, and if doing the things that scared me was the first step, I would do it.

"Well, me and my mom used to be really close," I started then paused for a moment, now second guessing whether what I was doing was really the right decision. "Like, really close. We did so much together, and I loved her. I think she loved me too. That picture of us you saw was of us on the last vacation we took together. It was about two years go, I think." I paused to recollect the memories. "Yeah, about two years ago. It was a few months after she'd met her new husband. I remember she had just started dating him, and I was super excited to meet him. He made her so happy, and no man had ever been able to dot that since my dad. I was so sure he was some sort of a prince charming."

"And I'm guessing that he want then?" Ray cut in, stopping the swing and wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

"You guessed correctly." I pushed the swing with my feet, barely moving me, but it was just enough to keep my thoughts in a row. "He was nice at first. A handsome, wealthy man, but after a while he made it obvious he didn't like me. Rude comments and dirty looks and stuff. When I told my mom, she said she'd talk to him about it. After, I started seeing less and less of my mom. Every time she came to visit, she was always in a rush and panic to to leave because 'Paul' was freaking out. Everytime I saw Paul, his attitude toward me got colder and colder. Eventually I asked my mom about it again, and she completely flipped out. She accused me of trying to seduce her fiance, then uninvited me from her wedding and completely cut me out of her life. Changed her number, moved houses, everything." 

There was a silence for a moment. I could feel my throat tightening and took a few deep breaths to mediate myself before continuing. 

"I hate Paul for what he did. He took a loving compassionate woman, and manipulated her into a suspicious, anxious wreck. He robbed me of so many moments me and my mom were gonna share. She won't see me graduate from college. She won't be there when I get married. Any kids I have won't have a grandma from my side of the family. All because of that fucking piece of shit excuse for a human she married."

The silence resumed, but this time, my breathing wouldn't keep my throat from constricting with sorrow. After the first tear rolled down my cheek, I found it hard to keep the others in. Broken sobs were leaving my body whether I wanted them to or not. The cold night air made me shiver, only making my cries sound more pitiful.

Ray rushed to my front and trapped me in a hug. I buried my face in his soft hair and sobbed. My fingers dug into his jacket and he rubbed my back slowly. Ray's gentle cooing calmed me down after a while. 

He held my face in his hands, while I was still hiccuping and gasping from the few leftover tears streaming from my eyes. He smiled at me and kissed my forehead.

"Do you want to go?" He asked.

"Yeah." I wiped my eyes and stood up.

Together we walked hand in hand back to Ray's apartment. I was getting a little sleepy, and leaned on him as he unlocked the door. When we entered the living room, I shot CeCe a quick text telling her not to wait up for me. I knew I would get flack from her the next day, but at that moment I couldn't have cared less. 

"Are you gonna stay here tonight?" Ray called from his bedroom.

"Yeah, if it's okay with you." I plopped down on the sofa and leaned over the edge and witnessed more of the world upside down. 

"Yeah it's fine. Do you want to borrow some clothes to sleep in then?" I looked at my own clothes. I surely didn't want to wrinkle my nice dress, and it certainly wouldn't be comfortable to sleep in. 

"Yes please!" I called back, getting up to go to Ray's bedroom. "Is it okay if I come in?" 

"Mm-hm." He opened the door for me. "Here, you can use these." 

Ray held out some folded up clothes out to me. A pair of plaid pajama pants and an old tee shirt. He left the room for a moment to let me change. The clothes were much more comfortable than my others. The shirt was large on me, hanging loose over my chest and shoulders. 

"Hey Y/n, where did you want to sleep tonight?" Ray asked through the door. 

"Umm, I don't know." I opened the door. "Just, wherever, I would rather not be alone. I'm kinda sorta afraid of the dark." 

Ray nodded and looked past me to his bed. "Do you wanna just sleep in the bed? Like, if that's okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine." If he was offering, I wouldn't let it be weird. I was too tired to care where I was, just scared enough to not want to be left alone.

"Okay." He took my hand and led me to the bed. It was pushed up against the wall, so we would have to get in one at a time. I crawled to the far side and sat waiting. I slid under the covers while he got in after me.

We settled in cuddled very close to one another. Ray stretched his arm around me and pulled me close. I intertwined my fingers with his and kept them by my heart. My eyes, already heavy, began to slide closed. My body relaxed and sleep washed over, ushering in dreams of love and warmth.


	10. sleeptalking

I woke up and was confused as to where I was for a moment. It wasn't very often I woke up somewhere that wasn't my house, but the warm body next to me clued me in. 

His sleeping eyes were peaceful, and the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest nearly hypnotized me back into sleep. 

A few locks had fallen into his face, so I brushed them back as gently as I could. To disturb my prince would be a crime too heinous for me to commit. Carefully, I sat up and wobbled to the bathroom. It was still only dawn, so there was no natural light to guide me, and Lord knows I could never turn on a light and risk waking Ray, so I resolved to just feel my way through the darkness.

When I returned to the bed, I resumed the warm spot in the mattress that I had left. This time, when Ray's breaths beckoned me to sleep, I answered the call.

RAY'S POV 

Y/n's face was squished against the pillow that she hugged tightly in her sleep. Her lips were pursed out slightly and mumbling something I could barely make out. She's sleeptalking. 

Her soft voice whispered something about being cold. She would repeat words over again.

Cold, cold, cold, please, please, cold. Blanket, please, please, cold. 

I could see Y/n shivering slightly under the blanket; her legs were pulled closely to her torso. When I pulled her to me and wrapped my arms around her, her whimpers slowed to incoherent mumbles, then stopped completely, having gained the warmth she needed. 

I tucked her head under my chin and spent the next hour drifting in and out of REM sleep before Y/n stirred awake. Her half-lidded eyes and goofy smile bade me good-morning before leaving a minute kiss on the tip of my nose.

"You're cute, you know that?" I asked, stroking her hair. Y/n responded by giggling into my neck and kissing my cheek. 

"I know." She propped herself up a little and stared non-specifically out at the floor through squinty eyes. "I'm the cutest." 

"Oh yes, absolutely. The cutest." I laughed, turning on my side. 

"You sound sarcastic." Y/n looked down at me and narrowed her eyes even more. "Do you not think I am the cutest in the land?"

"Oh no, no! Of course I do." I smiled up at her.

"Oh splendid." She returned to her indirect stare. "For a moment I thought I was gonna have to banish you."

"From my own apartment?"

"Yes."

There were a few moment's silence between us. Y/n had this habit very often. She would leave us in a silence while she stared out at nothing. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, in fact, it was quite comfortable. Soft and lovely.

Y/n climbed over me and out of the bed and stood stretching on the floor. 

Y/N'S POV 

Ray made me pancakes that morning. They were fluffy. It reminded me of some far off memory that was just out of my reach. As we ate, Ray told me about his band. 

My Chemical Romance was very new. They had just started a half a year before and had only a few songs. The ones I had heard a rehearsal were all that they had. "Except for this one song." Ray explained. "I think you'll like it though." 

I said I looked forward to hearing it and I couldn't wait until I could see them perform again. When we were both finished eating, Ray offered to take me home, to which I accepted. I went to change back into my dress and jacket. When I emerged, Ray was leaning against the wall, dressed and ready to go. He smiled when he saw me. "Ready?"

"Ready." He took my hand and we walked to his car. We didn't speak much on the ride back, just bobbing along gently to whatever came on the radio.

GERARD'S POV

Ray arrived to rehearsal in a much better mood than usual. He smiled widely at me and Mikey when he greeted us, and when Frank, as per usual, arrived twenty minutes late, he didn't try and lecture him or give him a disappointed look. He just said hey, how's it going and kept on at the riff he was writing. Mikey, Matt, Frank and I all exchanged looks. Good. They noticed too. This was strange. I wondered if it had anything to do with the girl he brought over that one time.

We had been practicing for about an hour when Mikey suggested we take a break. We sat in an awkward silence for a minute before Frank cut straight through it with a metaphorical machete. 

"Alright Ray, what's going on with you?" Wow, way to be subtle, jackass.

Ray looked confused and taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"You're being all, friendly and shit. " Frank said with a hint of disgust. "It's fuckin' weird man." 

"Sorry." Ray dismissed him and looked at his feet.

"You just..." I started, "You just seem to be in a good mood. That's all." 

"Oh." 

"Does this, by any chance, have to do with that girl you brought over a few weeks ago?" I asked, trying to pry information from him with a little more finesse than Frank.

"Y/n?" Ray reacted quickly. "Um...." 

"Oh it is, isn't it?" Frank was about to fly out of his chair, he was shaking in anticipation. "Dude, tell us!" 

"Yeah, man. What happened?" Mikey pressed him for more, leaning forward wih Matt. 

"It was nothing." Ray defended. "We just..." 

"Just what? C'mon man, just tell us." We were all eager to know, and I could keep pressuring him all day.

"Alright fine!" Ray threw his hands up in defeat. "Y/n came over, and we were watching a movie, then we started messing around, and I sort of kissed her." His voice trailed off at the end. 

"Oh shit! Nice man!" Frank slapped him on the shoulder. Then he wiggled his eyebrows. "What else happened?"

Ray gave him a glare. "Shut up, perv. We went to the park and made out a little. Then we went back to my place and slept together." Frank's jaw dropped, and Ray caught his mistake. "NO NO, NOT LIKE THAT! She just slept in my bed. With me. Next to me. Like, with all our clothes on."

"Oh." Frank was disappointed. "Boring." 

"You asked idiot."

RAY'S POV 

I arrived home late that night. I walked from room to room silently, save for the scuffing of my shoes against the floor and the squeaking of doors. 

On a chair in my bedroom were the clothes I let Y/n borrow to sleep in. There was a little note on the top of the neatly folded clothing.

Ray,

Thank you so much for letting me use these. Have a lovely day! ♡

XoXo  
Y/n 

I smiled at the note and set it by my bed, then tossed the clothes back in my drawer. However, I noticed that the shirt was missing. Only the pants were left behind. I shook my head and laughed silently. 

I turned out the light and collapsed into my bed. As I drifted off, I couldn't help but notice an unrelenting emptiness next to me.


	11. Did You Know that Doors are Cursed?

Y/N'S POV 

There is a curse that befalls all doors. Perhaps this curse was laid upon them by a wizard who was fed up with their teenage child sneaking home 3 hours past curfew. Or a sorceress whose husband had a habit of being unfaithful and frivolous with the joint bank account of which the sorceress was the primary funder. Regardless of the method and reasoning with which the curse came about, it did not fail to infect my front door when Ray dropped me off at my house that morning.

The Door might as well have been a sea-harried sailor with the obscenities that were screeched from its hinges. I tried to coax it into quiet submission, but my efforts were in vain; the curse showed its other ability, which was to summon the demon with which I shared the house.

"Y/n." CeCe was short with me. A smirk stretched her lip while her arms rested, folded curtly under each other. 

"Cecily." I was going to play her game. Even if I would lose. Her triumph was nearly a guarantee, but just like the Door, I would not default to a pathetic submission. I would go out screaming if I had to.

CeCe took long strides toward me, ready to strike me with her venom of scrutiny and cruel jokes. She did not stop when she reached me, opting to direct her strides in a wide circle around me. "You didn't come home last night."

"Sure didn't." I stayed still, save for one cocked hip and a disinterested expression. "I told you I wouldn't be, so I don't see why you're sticking your nose in places where it doesn't belong." I shrugged. "Of course, I should come to expect you to weasel your way into private parts of my life by now."

"Yeah?" She sneered. I had successfully jabbed the viper with a hot iron. "I can think of someone trying to weasel their way into some other 'private parts' of yours."

"Care to elaborate....Cecily?" She hissed at the name and I smirked. I knew all the right buttons to press; CeCe had the habit of wearing her soul on her sweatshirt, which isn't very convenient for someone who likes to make personal remarks.

"Oh just that sheep you spend all night talking to." Her voice was getting harsher with every word. "Not my fault you're out screwing every chance you get."

"That's not what we were doi-" 

"Oh save the story, Y/n." CeCe rolled her eyes, walking behind me. "You were out all night 'cause you were fucking. Just admit it and we can be done here."

"No!" I whipped around, furious. "We weren't fucking! Unlike you, I'm not so insecure that I let the first boy who shows interest into my pants! And I'm smart enough to recognize when he just wants me for sex, too."

CeCe was quiet. "And furthermore, it's not your concern why I was not here last night. I am 20 years old, and you are not my mother, so I would like to advise you to stay out of my private affairs unless I invite you in. Any questions?" 

She just shook her head and turned around, walking back into her room. The door slammed, shaking the whole house. 

I desperately needed to clear my mind after that spat, so I made quick resolve to change clothes and go on a walk. After peeling off all of my clothes, I sat in my clean underwear for a few minutes and stared at the floor. I was so tired of CeCe. Her snide comments were never very funny. I wanted to move so badly, but there wasn't anywhere for me to go. Until I had a plan, I was stuck with the bitch. 

After realizing that I was only in underwear, but also socks and shoes, I sprang up to put on more clothing. Nothing seemed to hit the perfect level of co.fort I was striving for, until  a piece of cloth hanging from my purse caught my eye. 

Now, I'll be the first to tell you stealing is wrong, but I'm also the first to point out that humans are flawed. Ray's shirt was just too perfect for me to let slip through my fingers. It was soft, the fabric tensile from frequent use and washings. It harboured that strong, comforting man scent that I've always wanted to re-create. A scent that just says: "I'll hold you while you cry, and I won't let go until you're sound asleep." The garment fell loosely around me, and paired well with my jeans. 

I walked out the front door and down the street with no direction. There were only thoughts of my prince racing through my head. I recalled how nice his lips felt against mine. The curls brushing my face. His strong arms wrapped around me. I wanted that all the time. I felt so alone without him. Unsure of what to do. I laughed a little to myself that a boy I met only a few weeks ago had changed my life so much. How greatly he had affected me was surprising. 

Work the next day was difficult. Maia and Julie had apparently decided it was their life's mission to see how many tantrums they could throw in one day. I realized that they both had very good arms. 

I was about to leave when the girls' parents stopped me. I was invited to a big party at their house, and could bring one guest. 

\-----^^^^^-----

"Sooooo.....do you wanna come with me?"

"Uuummm...." I approached Ray with my proposal that night. We were sat in his car, eating tacos under that fading sunlight. Though I had greeted him with a hug and kiss on the cheek, there was no mention from either of us of the night we spent together a few days prior. No discussion was had over the status of our relationship, which was understandable. We had had only one date (not counting that he had asked me to come with him to get food that night,) and only known each other for about a month. I had a feeling that we were both just nervous to ask the other. "Ok." Ray finally responded after a long silence.

"Cool. I'll let them know."


	12. The Gentlest Things

RAY'S POV 

Y/n and I hadn't yet addressed the elephant in the room of our relationship. I did want to be with her quite desperately, and was willing to do everything to achieve that, but was she willing to do the same? The fact that she invited me to a social event with her was a good sign. 

Over the next few weeks, Y/n and I developed a schedule where she would ride the bus to my apartment after school and work were over to do homework, and I would walk her home. I found it was extremely easy to get Y/n sidetracked from her schoolwork. All I had to do was trace my hand up her thigh for a few minutes and she'd be all over me.

We would make out on the couch, our bodies pressed closely against one another. Hands made their way under her clothes to touch skin that we were both too scared to reveal. Her motivations for the modesty were cloudy to me. All I knew was that making Y/n self-conscious would destroy me, and I wasn't sure how to make my way around her insecurities yet. For now, the kissing was just fine.

So here we were, sitting on the couch together, Y/n seriously focused on her homework, and me, pretending to read a book. Y/n sat with her back leaning on the arm of the couch, with her sock feet resting on the cushions. I sat the customary way, upright and leaned with my back against the proper sides. 

I always enjoyed watching her work. Every few minutes she would run her thumb over her bottom lip, then return to typing. Those lips. Her fingers. The two gentlest things I had ever seen, ever felt, making some sort of harmony. The sweet music didn't stop when she caught me staring the first time. Or the second time. Or any of the times after that. Rather, the lingering of her finger while she smiled at me was like an accent on an intricate movement; fleeting and refreshing. I could listen to the melody all day.

Abruptly, soft fingers shut my book. They set it to the side and brushed my hair back, exposing my neck. Then came the lips, sprinkling kisses from the base of my neck all the way up to my forehead.

"I saw you staring mon nounours," Y/n whispered to me. She loved speaking French to me. Whether it was an endearing nickname, or a searing insult when I beat her at Uno, Y/n was always utilizing her limited knowledge of the language around me. 

"You're just too pretty not to, angel." I turned my head to capture her lips with mine, savoring her with every fiber in my being. "You're beautiful." 

Y/n pulled away and smiled down at her hands. 

"You think I'm beautiful?" Her face was turning pink.

"Of course I do, I've told you before, I'm sure of it!" I took one of her hands and intertwined our fingers.

"Yes, I know, I just never really took it seriously before." She leaned her head on my shoulder. "Like, I never really absorbed the meaning of those words until now." She looked up at me with a few tears in her eyes. "Thank you Ray."

I kissed her again. This kiss was more passionate than the others, more forceful. I only wanted her to feel safe with me and feel loved. She melded with me and we were once again pressed closely together. 

Y/n pulled away, gasping for breath. "Ca-can I sleep here tonight?" 

"Yeah, you can sleep here."

"Okay. I just really don't want to be alone tonight."

We slept on the couch that night. Y/n was clinging to me the whole time, but I didn't mind all that much. Her little cherub face squished against my arm was too cute to get annoyed with anyway.

The next day after I took Y/n home, I had more rehearsal. The guys seemed a little apprehensive towards me, like they were trying not to stare at me. I was setting up when Mikey came up behind me.

"Dude, were you busy last night?" He half whispered to me.

"No, why?" I looked at him confused.

"Cuz you got a giant ass hickey on your neck man!" Frank yelled from across the room.

"Shit!" I tried to cover it up quickly with my sweatshirt, but Mikey pulled my hand away and started inspecting it, while the rest of the guys crowded around me.

"Bro what the hell," Gerard loomed over in shock and amazement. "She fuckin' hoovered your throat man! How are you still alive?

"Did Y/n do this?" Frank pushed my head to view my shame bruise better. "I didn't know she had it in her."

I pushed them off and pulled my hood over me, making sure to pull the strings tight. "Yes, it was Y/n, but-"

"OOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!!!!" The immature brats erupted into a chorus you might hear when a classmate gets called down to the office.

"Can we PLEASE stop talking about it and just play the goddamn music?" I pleaded with them.

"Alright man, whatever you say." Frank picked up his guitar. 

I played as hard as I could for multiple hours, trying to cover my embarrassment of having a discovered hickey with some sort of melody. Anytime I lost focus, I remembered Y/n. I could incorporate little flourishes of her into riffs and solos. 

"So you and Y/n huh?" Mikey asked me as soon as we were done practicing. The five of us were sat around the basement, not really doing anything. I still had my hood pulled tightly over me, half-sulking in the corner of the couch.

"Well, yes and no. We aren't officially a thing, but neither of us are going after other people, so...." 

"Looks like you've got this on lock though man," Gerard ventured. "She was really into you when we met her, so just snag her while you can you know?" 

"Yeah," I pulled at a string on my hoodie. "She invited me to go to this party at her bosses place with her, so I think that's a good sign." 

"Of course that's a good sign!" An older female voice chided from the top of the stairs. It was Gerard's mom, Mrs. Donna Way, coming downstairs with an empty laundry basket in tow. "Sweetie, if she's taking you to her bosses house, that means she not only is okay with introducing you to important people, but she also wants to be seen in polite company with you. This is a very good sign."

I contemplated for a moment while she pulled clothes out of the dryer. She was right. Of course she was, she understood women. After all, she was one herself.

"Thanks Mrs. Way." I smiled. 

"No problem hun," She looked at me in the eyes before walking up the stairs. "Just don't screw this up."


End file.
